Archives Center, National Museum of American History

BRANNOCK DEVICE COMPANY RECORDS, 1925-1998#672

(12 cubic feet: 27 DB; 3 FltB; 3 F/O; 1 O/S Fldr)

by: Amy K. Watia, August 1999

History

The
Brannock Device Company began with the 1925 invention of the Brannock Device by
Charles F. Brannock. Charles Brannock was working as a salesman in the Park-Brannock shoe store, co-owned by his father
Otis C. Brannock and Ernest N.
Park, in Syracuse, New York when he saw the need for an improved foot-measuring
device.The Brannock Device soon gained
favor over size-sticks because it measured foot length and width at the same
time.Additionally, it measured
heel-to-ball length, a feature which aided in fitting heeled shoes.

Charles
F. Brannock (1903-1992) was an inventor and businessman.He began tinkering with the idea of a new
foot-measuring device while attending Syracuse University, where he would get
up in the middle of the night and work on sketches and calculations.Brannock obtained a patent for the device on
August 28, 1928, but by then manufacture and sale of the device was already
underway.Brannock assembled the device
in the Park-Brannock shoe store and gave the device a trial on the sales
floor.In 1926, Charles Brannock began
offering the device to shoe retailers first on a rental basis and then by sale
through the use of salesmen who lived throughout the country and each covered a
geographic area.By 1929, the company
began to phase out salesmen because it offered quantity discounts to shoe companies
which distributed the devices to their stores at a lower price than salesmen
could offer.

Brannock
sold his device internationally beginning in 1929 through Mr. I. Singer of
London, England.In 1936 distribution
rights transferred to Henry Maitland Marler of Feature Shoes Limited of London,
an affiliate of the Selby Shoe Company.Renewing and protecting foreign trademarks proved to be a legal
challenge.Due to some confusion,
Brannock's British patent was allowed to lapse.In order to prevent other companies from using the Brannock name
in England, H.M. Marler set up Brannock Fitting Device Limited in October
1937.The company began manufacturing
Brannock Devices in January 1946, but royalties accrued through European sale
by 1951 did not even cover a third of the cost of trademarks, patents, and
designs.

Fortunately
for the Brannock Device Company, these costs were absorbed by the Selby Shoe
Company, with whom it had entered into agreements about foreign distribution in
November 1941.Selby had exclusive
rights to distribute the Brannock Device in South America, South Africa, and
other countries, and assisted Brannock in securing trademarks in many foreign
countries.

In
1933 a United States Navy captain asked a shoe salesman to find the source of
many sailors' foot problems.The
salesman, after measuring sailors' feet with the Brannock device, declared that
the Navy shoe was not the cause of the problem; the sailors were simply wearing
the wrong size shoes.The captain was
so happy that he would not have to order special shoes for his men that he
wrote an article in the July 1933 issue of United
States Naval Institute Proceedings which described how the Brannock Device
had eliminated foot troubles aboard the ship.This gave Brannock an opportunity to promote his device in the Navy by
sending the article to other ships.He
calibrated his device for use in other branches of the military and by World
War II the Brannock Device was being used by most of the armed forces.Several articles were written about the
greater foot comfort enjoyed by the military after the introduction of the
device.Charles Brannock was proud of
his small but widespread role in the war effort and in the comfort of America's
enlisted men and women.

Through
the years Charles Brannock developed many different models of his device,
including the women's, men's, junior, growing girl's, athletic, ski-boot, and
military models.In 1947, Brannock
moved the device company to a machine shop at 509 East Fayette Street in
Syracuse, where it remained for 50 years.

Brannock
advertised both the store and the device in local papers, and the device in
trade literature such as Boot and Shoe
Recorder.He encouraged other shoe
stores to promote themselves by using the device in their advertising.He also attended the annual National Shoe
Fair in Chicago from 1938 to 1968 in order to promote the device as well as
learn about shoe-fashion trends for the Park-Brannock shoe store.

Concurrently,
Charles Brannock also played a significant role in the Park-Brannock shoe
store.His father, Otis C. Brannock and
Ernest N. Park founded Park-Brannock in 1906 in a small store at 321 South
Salina Street, focusing on women's shoes.In February 1937, they moved to a three-story building at 427 South
Salina Street.Finally, in 1946, a
six-story store was built at 473-475 South Salina Street through 129 East
Onondaga Street.While waiting for the
newest store to be built, Park-Brannock temporarily moved to the Chimes
Building at 510-512 South Salina Street and 113 West Onondaga Street.Park-Brannock gained fame in Syracuse for a
wide selection of men's, women's and

children's
shoes, handbags, millinery, hose, and accessories.In an advertisement, the store declared itself "one of
America's finest shoe stores."The
design of the two newer
stores was state-of-the-art, and Park-Brannock was featured in shoe magazine
articles.For example, the men's
department was designed to look like a great room inside a ship.Charles Brannock became the CEO of Park-Brannock after both his father and Ernest Park died in 1962.Park-Brannock closed its doors in 1981,
after the Hotel Syracuse offered to purchase the property for its new Hilton
Tower.

Charles
Brannock died on November 22, 1992, at the age of 89.The company was purchased in 1993 from the Brannock Estate by
Salvatore Leonardi. Leonardi continues to manufacture Brannock devices in a
small factory in Liverpool, New York.Over a million Brannock Devices have been manufactured, and it remains
the shoe industry standard

Scope and Content

The
Brannock Device Company Records, 1925-1998, consist of correspondence, design
drawings, United States and foreign patents and trademarks, advertisements,
product information, sales records, photographs, and a film strip documenting
the invention, promotion, and sale of the Brannock Device as well as the
concurrent development of Park-Brannock as a leading shoe store in Syracuse,
NY.The collection is useful to
researchers for its stories of invention and entrepreneurship and its
exemplification of the patent and trademark process in the United States and
internationally in the early 20th century. The process of manufacturing and
marketing in the shoe industry, and manufacturing of military supplies during
World War II is also highlighted.

The
collection is divided into two subgroups: The Brannock Device Company Records
and Park-Brannock Shoe Store Records.The Brannock Device Company subgroup is arranged into six series: Series
1: Historical Background, 1928-1995; Series 2: Operational Records, 1926-1963;
Series 3: Product Development Records, 1925-1981; Series 4: Advertising and
Marketing Records, 1926-1980, 1998; Series 5: Sales and Distribution Records,
1925-1996; and Series 6: Photographs, circa 1930-1997.The Park-Brannock subgroup is similarly
arranged into five series: Series 1: Historical Background, 1936-1963, 1981;
Series 2: Operational Records, 1936-1972; Series 3: Advertising and Marketing
Records, 1933-1962; Series 4: Sales Records, 1916-1918, 1927-1961; and Series
5: Photographs, 1934-1967.

Subgroup
1: THE BRANNOCK DEVICE COMPANY, 1925-1998:

Series
1: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, 1928-1995

This
series contains articles about Charles Brannock, the Brannock Device, the
device in the military, and shoe-fitting in general.The series provides an understanding of the company and the shoe
industry as shown both through trade magazines, popular magazines, and
newspapers.

Series
2: OPERATIONAL RECORDS, 1926-1963

This
series contains bookkeeping, correspondence, census, insurance, and financial
records which account for the company as a whole.It is organized into seven subseries:Book for recording devices on hand, November 1927-January 1929;
Correspondence, 1926-1951; Census, 1947-1963, 1980; Insurance Inventory, 1956;
Royalties Accrued, January 1946-March 1951; Time Records, 1952, 1954, 1958; and
Notes, n.d.

The
correspondence between Charles and Otis Brannock reflects the strong business
relationship which existed between father and son.Charles Brannock put Florence Williams in charge when he was
vacationing each July from 1928 to 1931.The often humorous correspondence between them reflects daily business
at the factory.Correspondence with Dr.
Joseph Levyfield, chairman of the National Foot Health Council, pertains to
children's foot exams in schools.For
sales analyses of the Brannock Device, see Series 5: Sales and Distribution
Records, United States--Private Sector, Direct Sales, under Sales analyses,
1964-1973.

Series
3: PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT RECORDS, 1925-1981

This
series documents the process from invention to manufacture of the Brannock
Device.It is divided into four
subseries: Competitors' Devices and Other Products, Fitting Stool, Design, and
Manufacture.Patents and Trademarks are
included in the Sales and Distribution series because they were granted after
sale of the device had already commenced and the foreign patents and trademarks
are intricately linked to foreign sales.

The
Competitors' Devices and Other Products subseries is further refined:
Competitors' Devices; Other Products; Correspondence, 1928-1981, and Memos and
Reports, n.d.The subseries provides
documentation on the other devices Brannock considered while designing and
making modifications to his own device.It also includes sale or

manufacture
negotiations for other inventors' products.Most of these devices were designed later than the Brannock Device and
had attributes of the Brannock Device.Charles Brannock liked to keep abreast of new developments in order to
protect his own interests.

The
Fitting Stool subseries is a product development file on the fitting stool
Charles Brannock designed to accommodate his device which enabled salesmen to
measure the foot while seated instead of kneeling or squatting.It consists of design drawings and
correspondence with American Fixture and Showcase Manufacturing Company, Thonet, and Commonwealth Shoe and Leather Company about negotiating its
manufacture.

The
Design subseries is further divided:Drawings and Ideas; Specifications; Correspondence, 1935-1975; Customer
Comments; and Case of Child Cutting Finger on Device, July 1961-January 1962.The drawings and ideas are rough sketches
done by Charles Brannock.The
specifications include descriptions of materials used and assembly
instructions.They were shipped with
military orders for devices and are included in the text of patent
applications.The design correspondence
consists of actual and proposed modifications to the device.Of particular interest are the unsolicited
modification proposals the company received.Customer comments were always appreciated and taken into account in the
design process from 1946-1961.The case
file of a child cutting her finger on a device resulted in a legal settlement
in 1962.

The
manufacture subseries contains correspondence with, and pamphlets about,
companies that manufactured the device.Of particular interest are the Brannock Device Company's investigation
into making plastic devices due to the shortage of aluminum in World War II, as
outlined in the correspondence with the Eclipse Moulded Products Company.Also, a number of sample shoe company name
plates and instruction plates which were screwed into free sections of the
device are in this subseries.

Series
4: ADVERTISING AND MARKETING RECORDS, 1926-1980, 1998

This
series contains records from the company which contributed toward the goal of
making a sale.It is divided into seven
subseries: Correspondence, 1926-1974, 1998; Mailing Lists, 1947-1949; Ideas and
Copy; Materials Printed with the Brannock Device Name; Advertisements and
Product Information, 1934-1980; Measuring Device Instructions; and Advertising
and Merchandising Plans, 1938, 1956, n.d.

The
Correspondence, 1926-1974, 1998, contains letters between Brannock and various
advertising agencies, printers, and magazines.

The
Mailing Lists, 1947-1949, are partial listings of stores Brannock sent
advertisements to.

The
Ideas and Copy subseries consists of advertising ideas sketched by Brannock or
proposed by the Proctor and Collier advertising agency or others.Also included are preliminary versions of
advertisements and product information booklets.

Printed
Materials with the Brannock Device Name, provides examples of stationery,
business cards, and leases seen by potential customers.

The
Advertisements and Product Information, 1934-1980, subseries contains various
advertisements which appeared in magazines, newspapers, and displays, and
product information leaflets which were mailed to customers.Also represented are advertisements by shoe
stores which feature the Brannock Device and examples of the Brannock Device
being used to advertise other products such as insurance, apartments,
magazines, carpets, floorings, and die castings.

The
Instructions subseries contains: Ideas and Copy, and Completed Instructions.Ideas and Copy are preliminary versions of
the instruction sheets of individual models, including the Bran-X-Stick and a
Sock-Measuring Device.The Completed
Instructions are finished copies of the instruction sheets of many models.

The
Advertising and Merchandising Plans, 1938, 1956, n.d. subseries contains
information on three promotional schemes employed by the company: an early
advertising plan, a Brannock Device Company merchandising campaign in 1938, and
a cooperative effort with Miles Shoes in 1956.

Series
5: SALES AND DISTRIBUTION RECORDS, 1925-1986

The
largest series in the collection, the sales and distribution series documents
Brannock's sales, partnerships he entered into, and the legal measures he took
to ensure his company's success.The
series is divided into three subseries: United States--Private Sector, United
States--Military, and Foreign.

The
Patents and Trademarks, 1928-1971, contains patent and trademark certificates;
correspondence with Brannock's lawyer, Theodore E. Simonton, and others in
reference to obtaining patents and trademarks; and sales inquiries from those
wishing to buy Brannock's patents.

Arranged
alphabetically, the Salesmen Files, 1925-1935 document the enthusiasm for the
device experienced by shoe store owners across the country as they inquired
about selling it followed by their disappointment with commission percentages
and the fact that large shoe companies were getting the device at a discount
and distributing it among their affiliates, and therefore not buying from salesmen.

The
Shoe Fairs, 1938-1968, contains trade literature, visitation reports, and
correspondence from Charles Brannock and his employees while attending the
National Shoe Fair and the National Safety Congress and Exposition in Chicago
from 1938 to 1968.It is organized
chronologically by event.The
information learned at the fairs was also useful in keeping abreast of the
latest in shoe fashion for the Park-Brannock store.

The
United States--Military, 1928-1972 subseries contains correspondence, contracts,
and orders relating to the sale of the Brannock Device to the military.The subseries is arranged into seven smaller
series: Army, 1939-1962; Coast Guard, 1932-1945; Marine Corps, 1943-1956;
Merchant Marine, July 1944-August 1944; Navy, 1928-1970; Women's Army Corps,
1942-1944; and Miscellaneous Military Branches, n.d.Arrangement within each smaller series is chronological.

Additional
documentation on the Brannock Device in the military are in the following
series: articles can be found in the Historical Background series; competitors'
designs, drawings, specifications, and materials employed to make military
devices are in the Product Development series; instructions and military-theme
ads are in the Advertising and Marketing series, and photographs of military
fittings and military devices are located in the photographs series.

The
Foreign, 1937-1986, subseries documents the complex legal relationship between
the Brannock Device Company, the Selby Shoe Company, the Brannock Device
Company's lawyer, Theodore E. Simonton, and others as the companies strove for
protection and distribution of the Brannock Device in foreign countries.It is arranged into five smaller series:
Foreign Trademark Listings; Correspondence about Patents, Trademarks, and
Distribution, 1928-1986; Patents and Trademarks; London Speech about
Shoe-Fitting and the Company History; and Film Strip.

The
foreign trademark listings were compiled periodically by the Brannock Device
Company to keep track of their patents and trademarks.The correspondence is arranged
chronologically.The actual patent and
trademark certificates are arranged by country, and some folders also contain
accompanying correspondence.This
series does not contain all patents and trademarks issued to protect the
Brannock Device internationally; some of the trademarks listed in the container
list are renewals and therefore would not be the date of first issue.The London speech is a file of notes Charles
Brannock used when giving a speech on his company's history and success in
London, England.The sound-slide,
instructional film strip is entitled "The Key to Repeat Sales." This
series contains a transcript with a frame-by-frame description of each slide
and accompanying narration.

Series
6: PHOTOGRAPHS, c. 1930-1997

This
series is divided into five subseries:Personal; Foot-Measuring Devices; Military; Employees and the Factory,
1949, 1997; and Negatives of Brannock Device, 1933-1958.The series contains black and white photos
of Charles and Otis Brannock, competitors' devices, the Brannock device in
window displays as well as in use and alone, the Women's Army Corps and various
military men being fitted, employees, and the factory.There are also color photos, c. 1997, of the
employees, the factory, and devices.Black and white, labeled negatives, 1933-1958, are also included here.

Subgroup
2: PARK-BRANNOCK, 1916-1918, 1927-1981:

Series
1: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, 1936-1963, 1981

Newspaper
and magazine articles about Park-Brannock anniversaries, moves into new stores,
and the 1981 closing dominate this series.These articles are useful in understanding the rise of Park-Brannock as
a leading shoe and accessory retailer.Photo-laden articles put the industrial design-influenced decor of each
store into context.

Series
2: OPERATIONAL RECORDS, 1936-1972

This
series is arranged into six subseries: Financial Materials, 1936-1972; Memos,
December 1937-April 1944, January 1949, May 1958-May 1961; Business Course
Tailored to Park-Brannock, n.d.; Store Planning, 1935-1961; New York City
Business Trips, January 1949-August 1952; and Miscellaneous Notes, n.d.

The
Memos, December 1937-April 1944, January 1949, May 1958-May 1961 subseries
contains a limited amount of general internal correspondence.For correspondence between Charles and Otis
Brannock, see the Operational Records series of subgroup 1, the Brannock Device
Company.For other internal
correspondence, see the correspondence with Alice Buxton in the Advertising and
Marketing Records series in subgroup 2, Park-Brannock.

The
Business Course Tailored to Park-Brannock, n.d. is a file on how to be
successful in the shoe business with advice specifically for
Park-Brannock.The author is unknown,
but it appears to be a commissioned service.

The
Store Planning, 1935-1961 subseries contains architectural drawings for a
proposed but not undertaken renovation of the original Park-Brannock building
in 1935, and files containing store planning advertisements and correspondence
used in the moves to new stores in 1937 and 1946.

The
New York City Business Trips, January 1949-August 1952 subseries consists of a
chronological file of notes taken by Charles Brannock on business accounts
during trips to New York City.

The
Miscellaneous Notes, n.d. subseries contains various notes made by Charles
Brannock.

Series
3: ADVERTISING AND MARKETING, 1933-1962

Like
the Advertising and Marketing Records series in the Brannock Device Company
subgroup, this series contains records from the company which contributed
toward the goal of making a sale.Correspondence documents the arrangements made by the company to create
and post advertisements.Ideas and copy
display early moments of this process.Materials printed with the Park-Brannock logo represent what the
customers were given to remember their purchases: stationery, receipts, gift
cards, bags, and box designs.Printed
advertisements, radio advertisements, and form letters brought customers into
the store.The Junior League of Syracuse
file documents photographic advertising campaigns surrounding this group of
fresh-faced young girls, as well as Park-Brannock's efforts to edge into this
consumer group with advertisements in their newsletter.Correspondence with and reports from Alice
Buxton have to do with her visits with doctors and nurses to promote the store
along with evaluations of the company's advertising campaigns.The "Betsey Budget" lawsuit
resulted from Park-Brannock copyrighting a commissioned advertising booklet which
the artist would rather have had in her own name.

The
customer and supplier correspondence consists of mail orders, returns, and
repair requests.An interesting aspect
of the customer correspondence is the amount of shoe orders customers placed
through the mail.Customers often
received several pairs of shoes matching their descriptions, selected a pair,
and mailed the remainder back to Park-Brannock.Sometimes customers would send in an outline
of their foot to be sized or color swatches to match the shoes to a dress.Often the purchasing negotiations would require
several letters between store and customer.The most prominent shoe supplier to correspond with Park-Brannock was
the Selby Shoe Company, followed by Brown Shoe Co.; Marshall, Meadows, and
Stewart, Inc.; and LaValle, Inc.

Series
5: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1932-1967

This
series contains labeled, black and white, 8x10" photographs from each of
the three stores as well as a booklet celebrating Park-Brannock's 50th
anniversary in 1956, window displays from Park-Brannock and other stores, and
labeled 8x10" negatives.

Provenance

The
collection was donated to the National Museum of American History by Salvatore
Leonardi on November 4, 1998.

Related
Collections

Artifacts
(several Brannock Devices and competitors' devices) have been donated to the
Division of Cultural History in the National Museum of American History.

Container List

Box

Folder

SUBGROUP 1: BRANNOCK DEVICE COMPANY RECORDS,
1925-1998

SERIES 1: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, 1928-1995

1

1

Articles about Charles Brannock and the Brannock Device Company,
1934-1995